Lecture 21

NPTEL Course

GROUND IMPROVEMENT
GROUND TREATMENT
USING GROUTING

Prof. G L Sivakumar Babu

Department of Civil Engineering
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore 560012
Email: gls@civil.iisc.ernet.in
 Chemical grouting
Chemical grouting is defined as any grouting material
characterized by being a pure solution; no particles in
suspension (Committee on Grouting 1980). In practice,
suspended solids are often added to chemical grouts to
modify the solution properties as additives. The types of
chemical grouting materials have been classified into
six categories by Karol (2003):
Sodium silicate formulations; acrylics; lignosulfites-
lignosulfonates; phenoplasts; aminoplasts; and other
materials.
Chemical Grouting
Chemical grouting is a ground treatment method for soils
with a relatively low-viscosity grout. There are many types
of chemical grout, each having different strength, cost,
viscosity, toxicity and durability.
The major difference between particulate grouts and
chemical grouts is in the penetrability. Chemical grouts can
penetrate into soil with finer particles. The penetrability for
chemical grouts is a function of the solution viscosity
whereas the penetrability for particulate grouts is a function
of particle size.
Penetrability of various grouts (after Karol 2003)
Chemical Grouts
Case study MICHIGAN STREET TUNNEL
Grand Rapids, MI, Nicholson Construction Company,
The 31m -long,6m dia tunnel was constructed using the
New Austrian Tunneling Method. Because the sites
ground conditions primarily consist of fine sand, chemical
grouting was specified to stabilize the sand and enable
openface tunneling. Nicholson treated 3,425 cubic yards
of sand with a sodium-silicate-based grout. The chemical
grout was injected through 41 tube-a-manchette (TAM)
sleeves, each one over 100 feet long. The TAM sleeves
were drilled horizontally in order to maintain an active,
undisturbed roadway above. The chemical grouting
process created a treated mass of stabilized sand so the
tunnel could be excavated with less risk of overburden
collapse.
Studies are available to confirm the longevity of the
chemical grouting in controlling infiltration and inflow of
underground water in underground structures.

The treatment did not show any signs of distress,

withstood number of cycles of weathering as well as cost
effective.
Archeology of Grouts
Basic Rheological properties are
Stability: Considered stable if particles remain in
suspension until they reach destination
Setting time: It is the time required for the grout to
harden and is in the range of 4 to 24 hours depending
on additives used.
Viscosity: Proportionality factor relating shear
resistance to the velocity gradient.
 Inner cylinder is stationary
and the outer cylinder
rotates and the
measurement of torque
enables the calculation of
viscosity

Measurement of viscosity
Rheological Models

Rheological Diagram and model of a Bingham body

The rheological behavior of Bigham body is
expressed as

dv
0
dz
is called rigidity . A thin plate with rough surfaces

is immersed in the grout and initial yield stress can
0
be determined from the amount of grout sticking to
the surface. It is equal to 0

Once the flow time from cone and rigidity are
known, true viscocity can be determined.
Marsh cone flow time versus yield stress and viscosity
 Viscous And Visco -Plastic Flow in Pipes

Velocity profiles for viscous and Visco Plastic flow in Pipes

Permeation Grouting of Soils
a. Spherical flow model for Porous media
b. Radial flow from a Cylindrical Cavity
c. Groutability of soils based on Permeability

Comparison of Permeation of Grouts

Relation between water/cement ratio and viscosity for
different types of cement
Permeation Grouting of Rock joints and Fissures
a. viscous and Visco-Plastic flow between parallel
surfaces

Grouting pressure and uplift force in a

joint
b. Structure and Permeability of Rocks

Water pressure testing-Presentation of results

Fig. showing Interpretation of flow rate/Pressure
diagrams
COMPACTION GROUTING

Compaction grouting, also

known as Low Mobility
Grouting, is a grouting
technique that displaces and
densifies loose granular soils,
reinforces soils and stabilizes
subsurface voids or sinkholes.
Compaction Grouting
improves ground conditions
by displacement.
Site Investigation
Comprehensive knowledge of subsurface
conditions is important.
A site investigation report generally contain site
geology and history, soil gradation and the in situ
horizontal permeability of each treatment stratum.
Type and condition of nearby structure and utilities,
together with plan and elevation location, will further
assist program development.
Geotechnical Considerations
1. The in situ vertical stress in the treatment stratum
must be sufficient to enable the grout to displace
the soil horizontally.
2. The grout injection rate should be slow enough to
allow pore pressure dissipation.
3. Compaction grouting can usually be effective in
most silts and sands, provided that the soil is not
near saturation.
4. Soils that lose strength during remolding should be
avoided.
5. Greater displacement will occur in weaker soil
strata. Excavated grout bulbs confirm that
compaction grouting focuses improvement where it
is most needed.
6. Collapsible soils can usually be treated effectively
by adding water during drilling prior to compaction
grout injection.
7. Stratified soils, particularly thinly stratified soils,
can be cause for difficult or reduced improvement
capability.
Compaction Grouting Delivery Methods

Installation of grout
pipe:
Drill or drive casing
Location very important
Record ground
information from casing
installation
Initiation of grouting
Typically bottom up, but
can be top down
Grout quality important
Pressure and/or volume
of grout is usually limited
Slow, uniform stage
injection
Continuation of grouting
On-site batching can aid
control
Grout quality important
Pressure, grout quality and
indication of heave are
controlling factors
Sequencing of plan
injection points very
important
Improvement Conditions
Typically greater than 100 kPa overburden stress is required
to maximize densification.
Limited densification can be achieved with less overburden.
This stress can come from overburden soils, surcharge
loads and/or foundation loads.
When densification is the primary intent, a replacement ratio
and pressure criterion is applied to each stage of compaction
grouting.
Replacement Ratio (RR) = CG Volume ~ 5 to 15%
Treatment Volume
This ratio is determined based on the existing density, the
soil density range and the amount of displacement necessary
to affect the improvement.
The maximum pressure criterion prevents fracture and
ground heave and compensates for stiff zones in the
treatment area.
Vertical stages are usually set at 2- to 3-ft intervals; tighter
grid spacing will generally lead to better results.
 Applications

Karstic Regions
Pre-treatment for prevention of potential sinkholes is
common
Pre-treatment usually involves drilling down to and into the
limestone surface to locate and fill any cavities, followed by
improvement of the loose soil above the rock surface.
Rubble Fill
Construction debris and other similar fills are often placed in
an uncontrolled manner.
To close the void spaces and minimize potential settlement
impact, compaction grouting is applied in a regular pattern.

Poorly Placed Fill

Provided sufficient overburden stress exists, a proper
program of compaction grouting can treat the poorly
placed fill material.
Loosened Soil: Pre-Treatment
Construction-generated ground disturbance can often be the
cause of soil loosening near the work area and can affect
nearby structure.
The injection of compaction grout soon after the disturbance
occurs can compensate for the disturbance by re-establishing
the original stress state and prevent deformations beyond the
work area.
Liquefiable Soils
Ground improvement consists of density increase, cellular
containment, and/or reinforcement.
Sol permeability is an important parameter in determining the
rate of compaction grouting.

Collapsible Soils
Collapsible soil conditions exist in specific regions where
wind-blown silts have accumulated or intermittent stream
flow deposition has occurred.
Treatment of this soils is possible by forcing a restructuring
of the fine grains into a tighter configuration.
Advantages of Compaction Grouting
pinpoint treatment
Speed of installation
Wide application range
Effective in a variety of soil conditions
Can be performed in very tight access and low
headroom conditions
Non-hazardous
No waste spoil disposal
No need to connect to footing or column
Non-destructive and adaptable to existing foundations
Economic alternative to removal and replacement or
piling
Able to reach depths unattainable by other methods
Enhanced control and effectiveness of in situ treatment
with Denver System
Case study:
McClellan Pump Station Littleton, Colorado:
Construction of waste water lift station at the
McClellan pump station included the sinking of 40-ft
deep, 30-ft diameter shaft through uncompacted
native, silt sands.
The shaft was designed as a series of 10-ft deep
concrete ring sections installed from that top down,
with the bottom of the shaft reaching design elevation
at 40-ft below grade.
Compaction grouting underway to densify the disturbed soils
between a 30-ft diameter shaft and previously installed drilled
piers.
Some unanticipated problems were faced during the
construction process.
The problem due to side friction was overcome by
air and water jetting.
Additional fill was placed to restore the site to grade.
And the shaft was then completed.
Cross section showing, typical staged compaction grouting
Jet Grouting
Jet grouting is a grouting technique that creates in situ
geometries of soilcrete, using a grouting monitor
attached to the end of a drill stem.
The grouting monitor is advanced to the maximum
treatment depth.
High velocity fluid jets are then initiated from ports in
the side of the monitor.
The jets erode and mix the in situ soil as the drill stem
and grouting monitor are rotated and raised.
Excess soilcrete rises to the surface through the
borehole annulus where it is contained and disposed of.
JET GROUTING
Jet grouted soilcrete columns to underpin and provide excavation
support for this wall at the Bayer Healthcare facility in Walpole, MA.
Jet grouting stabilization at TBM break-out locations for construction of
a new sewer tunnel at the Brightwater Treatment Plant in King Country,
WA.
Depending on the application and soils to be treated,
there are three primary systems of jet grouting:
The single fluid system (Soilcrete S): the injection of
cementitious grout slurry at high velocity to erode and mix
with soil.
The double fluid system (Soilcrete D): the injection of
cementitious grout slurry at high velocity, sheathed in a
cone of air at an equally high velocity, to erode and mix
with soil.
The triple fluid system (Soilcrete T): the injection of water
at high velocity, sheathed in a cone of air at an equally
high velocity, to erode the soil while simultaneously tremie
injecting a cementitious grout slurry from beneath the
erosion jets.
The three most common Jet grouting systems
There are more variations of these systems than there are
systems themselves, but in most cases they are a
bottom-up process. That is to say, they use hydraulic
rotary drilling to reach the design depth, and at that point
initiate jet grouting parameters and procedure to create a
cementitious soil matrix commonly called soilcrete.
During grouting, the borehole annulus must be large
enough to permit unimpeded up-hole spoil return. this
allows for control of the in situ stress environment. A lack
of this spoil return will result in hydrofracturing the ground
and loss of control. Loss of this control can lead to
extreme inconsistencies in the soilcrete quality and
geometry.
Jet Grouting Process
Jet Grouting Procedure
Predrilling or foundation coring may be necessary
to access the treatment zone. Other emerging jet
grouting systems include SuperJet and X-Jet
grouting.
SuperJet System: a double fluid system reliant
on specialized tooling and high injection energy
for enhanced erosion capability (up to 5m
diameter)
X-Jet System: a triple fluid system using a pair
of colliding erosion jets to create a more uniform
and controlled diameter of treatment.
Concluding Remarks

Grouting is a versatile technique and has been proven to be

suitable to many ground improvement applications.
References

Hausmann M R (1984) Engineering principles of Ground

Modification.
Schafer et al (1997) Ground Improvement, Ground
Reinforcement, and Ground Treatment- Developments;
1987-1997, Geotechnical Special Publication; No 69.
Jian Chu (2009) Construction Processes, State of the Art
Report, ICSMGE, Alexandria, Egypt.